IT’S ALMOST THANKSGIVING . . . MY FAVORITE. When it comes to holidays, this one tops ’em all, in my opinion. I prefer it because it is so healthy, so encouraging, so valuable . . . and so understated. I prefer it because there are no jingles to sing, commercials to endure, gifts to buy, places to go, or meetings to attend—just be thankful. Just look up, look around, look within, and say, “Thank you, Lord.”
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A Psalm of Thanksgiving
BY NOW, YOU’VE NOTICED I’ve got a love affair going with Thanksgiving. It has been going on as far back as I can remember. Hands down, it’s my favorite holiday of all. Here’s why . . . First, there is no way it can be commercialized. Have you noticed? Shopping centers jump from spooks to Santa . . . pumpkins to presents . . . orange and black to red and green. It’s doubtful that any of us has ever seen (or will ever see) a Pilgrim hype. Just can’t be done. Except for grocery stores, merchants are mute when Thanksgiving rolls around.
Read MoreThe Small Stuff
“Don’t sweat the small stuff.” Somebody said that to me the other day. It helped . . . momentarily. I needed reality’s nudge. Being casual on the outside but a fairly thorough and disciplined soul within, I sometimes need to be reminded that few people will even notice the thing I’m camping on. Or care, for that matter. So? So sweating the small stuff can occasionally be a drag.
Read MoreLooking for the Prize
GROWING OLD, LIKE TAXES, is a fact we all must face. Now, you’re not going to get me to declare when growing up stops and growing old starts. But there are some signs we can read along life’s journey that suggest we are entering that inevitable period of transition. Physically, the aging “bod” puts on the brakes. You begin to huff and puff when you used to rip and zip.
Read MoreThings That Really Matter
IF YOU FOUND YOURSELF near the end of your days, close to death, who or what would you most want by your side? That’s a compelling question, isn’t it? I know that as I grow older, much that I once attended to and perhaps even worried over through the years means very little now that I’m in my eighth decade. In those times of rare but necessary reevaluation, what’s really important comes into clearer focus.
Read MorePursuing Worthy Trophies
HE WAS BRILLIANT. Clearly a child prodigy, the pride of Salzburg, a performer par excellence. One of the most brilliant and gifted composers of all time left earth at the young age of thirty-five. The man lived most of his life in abject poverty. He died in complete obscurity! His official name was Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Amadeus Theophilus Mozart. With a handle like that, he had to be famous.
Read MoreA Quiet Place
IT IS ALMOST 10:00, MONDAY NIGHT. The children are snoozing upstairs. Aside from a few outside noises—a passing car . . . a barking dog . . . a few, faint voices in the distance—all’s quiet on the home front. That wonderful, much-needed presence has again come for a visit—quietness. I recall when our children were little, how valuable times of silence were to both Cynthia and me.
Read MoreThe Satisfaction of Being Thorough
I HAVE JUST TAKEN MY Webster’s Dictionary off the shelf and looked up thorough. It means, “carried through to completion, careful about detail, complete in all respects.” Thorough is my kind of word! I learned the importance of being thorough from my parents while growing up in south Texas. Most weren’t so fortunate.
Read MoreWhen You Grow Up
“What do you want to be when you grow up?” That’s a favorite question we enjoy asking children. And the answers we get usually are “a police officer” or “a nurse” or maybe “a fire fighter.” Some kids are visionary.
Read MoreA ”Renewed Mind” Is Essential
Let’s talk about some positive input on the correct mentality of a servant. Is it possible to think so much like Christ that our minds operate on a different plane than others around us? Not only is it possible—it’s essential!
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